Vehicle Component Authentication and Selective Restriction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Unauthorized replacement or manipulation of motor vehicle components, particularly those critical for safety and emissions, poses challenges in ensuring authentic operation without compromising driving safety or increasing emissions, as existing methods may restrict functionality in a way that affects safety or emissions negatively.

Innovation Solution

A method that authenticates safety and emissions-relevant components using challenge-response authentication and controls the operation of other non-safety-related components to restrict their functionality if the authentication fails, ensuring that only authorized components are used without impairing the functionality of safety-critical components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If functionality of functional components is restricted to indicate unauthorized exchange, then detection of unauthorized replacement is improved, but driving safety and emissions are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection of unauthorized replacementVSAvoiddriving safety and emissions
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments functional components into two categories: safety/emissions-relevant components and other components. Authentication and restriction measures are applied selectively only to non-safety components, while safety components maintain full functionality. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by preventing restrictions on safety-critical systems while still detecting unauthorized replacements through authentication of non-safety components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different quality levels of control to different components based on their importance. Safety-relevant components receive high-quality treatment (no restrictions even if authentication fails), while non-safety components receive standard authentication and restriction control. This local differentiation allows detection of unauthorized replacements without compromising driving safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If authentication is performed on all functional components, then detection precision of unauthorized manipulation is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precision of unauthorized manipulationVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication system is segmented to apply authentication procedures selectively. Only non-safety functional components undergo authentication and potential restriction, while safety components are excluded from restriction logic. This reduces the number of components requiring authentication processing while maintaining detection precision for unauthorized manipulation of replaceable components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the authentication parameter application based on component type. A flag or parameter indicates whether a component is safety-relevant, which modifies the authentication outcome handling. This parameter-based differentiation simplifies the overall system by avoiding complex authentication logic for safety components while maintaining precision for non-safety components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3230131B1Method for controlling the operation of at least one functional component of a motor vehicle and motor vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 AUDI AG
  • EP3230131B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3230131B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Method for controlling the operation of at least one functional component (1, 2, 3) of a motor vehicle (4), comprising the steps: – executing an authentication check of at least one functional component (1) which is safety-relevant and/or emission-relevant for the driving mode of the motor vehicle (4) with respect to whether the functional component (1) is an original component of the motor vehicle (4) or a functional component (1) which has been exchanged without authorization and/or manipulated without authorization, and – controlling the operation of at least one other functional component (2, 3) of the motor vehicle (4) in such a way that the functionality, or at least one functionality, of the at least one other functional component (2, 3) is selectively restricted if the authentication check which is carried out reveals that the at least one functional component (1) which is safety-relevant and/or emission-relevant for the driving mode of the motor vehicle (4) has been exchanged without authorization and/or manipulated without authorization.